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Monday, June 30, 2014

The Saint John Sea Dogs will be selecting fifth overall
in Wednesday’s 2014 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.

This year’s draft begins later than in past years, starting at noon Atlantic time. The CHL released some details today. From the CHL website:

The two-round draft will take place online with the order
of selection rotating through each of the CHL’s three leagues using an inverse
order of final regular season standings within each league from the 2013-14
season. The OHL’s Sarnia Sting hold the number one pick, followed by the
Quebec Remparts who acquired the second overall selection following a 2012
trade with the Sherbrooke Phoenix. The WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes will
select third overall. Each team in the CHL is permitted to dress and play
a maximum of two import players each season who are selected annually through
the CHL Import Draft.

The Sea Dogs will select fifth and 65th overall on Wednesday and it appears the team plans on using both picks. Saint John dressed just one
import player last season – and that one player, Jurij Repe, is not expected to
be back - due to Juraj Siska being unable to play because of injury.

Saint John drafted Siska ninth overall in last year’s
draft and had knowledge of his injury. The selection likely played a role in
Mike Kelly’s firing.

New Dogs general manager Darrell Young will look to
drastically improve Saint John’s Import Draft fortunes. Young is well connected
in the hockey world and this draft is often more about who you know than where you
pick.

Looking ahead, this could be a big moment for the Sea Dogs. Saint John has a solid core group in place and can add another significant piece or two on Wednesday.

Having high picks in the Import Draft is nothing new for
the Sea Dogs. They selected forward Martin Bartos fifth overall in 2005,
defenseman David Stich fourth overall in 2006, goaltender Robert Mayer third
overall in 2007, forward Stanislav Galiev first overall in 2009, and forward
Tomas Jurco fourth overall in 2009.

LeBlanc become the first Sea Dogs player to be selected
since the 2011 NHL Draft, going in the seventh round, 197th overall
to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In 56 games with Saint John last season, the defenseman
registered seven goals and 26 assists. In his rookie season in 2012-13, the
18-year old had four goals and 14 assists in 60 matches. He was an 11th
overall pick of Saint John in the 2012 QMJHL Entry Draft.

The Quebec City native saw lots of ice time last season
and will play a huge role on the backend again this season.

LeBlanc is the 14th player in Sea Dogs history
to be selected in the NHL Draft. He’s also the first Saint John defenseman to
be picked since Nathan Beaulieu in the first round of the 2011 draft.

Forwards Matthew Highmore and Spencer Smallman, who were both listed in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings, were not selected.

Friday, June 27, 2014

Gerard Gallant and the Florida Panthers, despite some
trade talk, took the stage and used the first overall pick, selecting
defenseman Aaron Ekblad.

Following the draft, Ekblad told TSN that Jonathan Huberdeau texted him to welcome him to the team.

Nikolaj Ehlers of the Halifax Mooseheads was the first and
only QMJHL player taken in the first round going ninth overall to the Winnipeg
Jets.

Nine of the top 10 picks in the draft came from the CHL.
CHL communications manager Paul Krotz tweeted, “#CHL players take 9 of the
Top-10 #NHLDraft
picks for the first time since 2010 and 1990, back in 1987 league had first 18
straight picks.”

Surprising to see Moncton Wildcats forward Ivan Barbashev
passed over in the first round. He’ll go early tomorrow.

Real nice move by the Arizona Coyotes to mention scout
Norm Gosselin who has passed away. Gosselin worked with the Sea Dogs from 2005
to 2009 before joining the Coyotes.

Unlimited boos for Gary Bettman and pretty much
everything not affiliated with Philadelphia.

RIP to TSN’s draft coverage. It will be missed.
Sportsnet takes over the show next year.

Rounds two through seven go tomorrow beginning at 11 am on
NHL Network.

The 2011 NHL Draft is no doubt one of the top moments in
Saint John Sea Dogs history.

Three players were chosen in the first round that year, highlighted
by Jonathan Huberdeau going third overall. The following day, Tomas Jurco and Ryan Tesink were picked, giving Saint John five drafted players in one draft.

But since Tesink went 162nd overall to the St.
Louis Blues in 2011, not a single Sea Dogs player has been picked. That could change this weekend.

No Sea Dogs were picked in the 2012 or 2013 NHL Drafts.
It’s very unlikely one will be picked in tonight’s first round; but tomorrow is
a different story.

Three Saint John players were listed in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings. Defenseman Olivier
LeBlanc has the best chance of ending the Dogs’ draft drought and came in at
No. 126. Forwards Matthew Highmore and Spencer Smallman were ranked 155th and
173rd, respectively.

Forward Juraj Siska, Saint
John’s import pick from a year ago who didn’t play a single game this season
due to injury, was given a “limited viewing” listing by Central Scouting.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Like their roster, the Saint John Sea Dogs' scouting staff will
have a much different look this season.

With Darrell Young taking over general manager duties,
several scouts moving to other teams, and others leaving for other
opportunities, Saint John’s scouting staff has had a big overhaul.

"Obviously our scouting staff is in a period of
transition," Young said in a release regarding the changes. "When we
lost Christian Vermette to the Quebec Remparts, that was a big loss. Others
have moved on as well.

"But that gave us the chance to expand our staff.
We've added scouts who have a wide range of experience in the NHL, junior and
other levels in the game. We have some really good people."

The team announced the changes this afternoon. Here is
this year’s staff:

Peter Nevin (Senior Scouting Advisor)

Christian Deblois (Quebec/Quebec Head Scout)

Sid Veysey (Nova Scotia/Atlantic Canada Head Scout)

Ritch Thibeau (New Brunswick)

Scott Gordon (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Paul Currie (PEI)

Anthony Stella (Montreal)

Noah Romoff (Montreal)

J.P. Hamel (Montreal)

Matt Lewin (Quebec City)

Richard Rose (Quebec/Ottawa region)

Mathieu Bougie (Ottawa/Gatineau region)

Marc Bastarache (USA)

Judd Brackett (USA)

Some interesting names here. Nevin is a former Moncton
Wildcats head scout. Stella and Brackett can be followed on Twitter here and
here.

Extremely honoured and proud to announce that I
will be joining the Sea Dogs scouting staff this upcoming season as a Montreal
area scout.
— Anthony Stella (@A_Stellaa) June
23, 2014

The next test for Young and crew is this Wednesday when the
CHL Import Draft takes place.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

The camp runs from August
2-5 at the Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary. The camp will help determine
Canada’s roster for 2014 U-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup. This year’s tournament
goes from August 11-16 in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

According to a Hockey Canada release, “the camp roster includes 18 players from the Western Hockey
League, 15 from the Ontario Hockey League, 10 from the Quebec Major Junior
Hockey League and one who played U.S. high school hockey last season.”